Automatic violin.



H. HEGELER.

AUT'OMATICVIOLIN.

APPLICATION man 1AN.17.1913.

1,147,504. Patented July 20, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. HEGELER.

AUTOMATIC VIOLIN.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I?. |913.

1,147,504. PaIenIed July 20, 1915.`

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

CoLUMBIA PLANOBRAFN co..wAsM|NaTON. n. C.

H. HEGELER.

AUTOMATIC VIOLIN.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.17.1913

Patented July 20, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMANN HEGELER, 0F OLDENBURG, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM OF FABRIKFUR PIANOEINBAUAPPARATE STEMS, GESELLSCHAFT MIT BESCHRANKTER HAF- TUNG,0F DRESDEN, GERMANY.

AUTOMATIC VIOLIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2o, 1915'.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HERMANN IIEGELER, a subject of the Emperor ofGermany, residing at Gaststrasse 23, Oldenburg, in the Empire ofGermany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticViolins, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention has for its obJect to provide an automatic violinwith rotating bowing member, which instrument in the first placepresents the advantage that the space occupied by it is reduced to theminimum, as not only the instrument itself, but also the bowing memberare arranged horizontally, the latter being located approximately in aplane parallel with the instrument.

This instrument occupies a very small space as compared to otherautomatic violins with reciprocating or rotating bowing member, it,owing to the horizontal arrangement of the bowing member and violinbelly, being more flatly arranged than other violins. It is thereforeadapted for being built into other musical instruments, such as pianos,for example.

Owing to the horizontal arrangement of the bowing member the furtherimportant advantage is attained thatby suitably tensioning the bowingmember a broad and uniform bowing surface is obtained. Joints orconnections are entirely dispensed with, so that the playing is not inany way impaired by the latter.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 shows the instrument in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan. Fig.3 is an end elevation. Fig. t is a section on the line IV-IV in Fig. 2.Fig. 5 is a section of the frame carrying the bowing member. Fig. 6shows the damping device with a portion of the violin in plan. Fig. 7represents the regulating casing for the air motor, partly in section.Fig. 8 shows the bowing member in underneath plan. Fig. 9 is a sideelevation, half in section, and Fig. 10 shows on an enlarged scale thereversed arrangement of the two bellows for lifting the frame with thebowing member.

The instrument 2 is fixed in a somewhat oblique position on the baseplate 1. It is provided with three strings, but only the middle string 3is played, while the other two strings 3 merely serve to improve theresonance. Above the strings and above the bridge 4, the disk-shapedbowing member 5 is arranged flat and rotatably. This bowing member isdriven from the crank shaft 6 on which connecting rods 7 are mounted atan angle one with the other; these rods are also connected with the airslides i7 of the air engine 7.

A chain or cord pulley 8 is mounted on one end of the crank shaft 6 fortransmitting the movement of the shaft to the bowing member 5 and achain 9 or other appropriate transmission member drives a pulley 10 of asecond shaft 11.

A cord 15 or the like passes over a pulley 12 on the shaft 11 and over apulley 14 mounted on the shaft 13 of the bowing member and serves torotate the bowing member from the shaft 11. The cord 15 is guided byrollers 16.

The air engine 7 is connected by the conduit 17 with the piano playermechanism iniuenced through the note sheet. Therefore the motor, whichis of known construction is Aonly rendered operative when the openingprovided for this purpose in the music sheet permits of it.

In the casing 20 with which the hose 17 is connected, the regulatingmechanism for the air motor is arranged; this consists of two bellows18, 22 and comprises a number of valves (Fig. 7). A spring 19 normallytends to keep the bellows 18 extended and a rod 67 connects this bellowswith a valve 66 which is adjustable by means of a nut 68 which screwsonto the lower end of the connecting rod 67. The bellows 18 serves forregulating the uniform running of the air motor and is influenced by thedirect supply of air from the reserve bellows of the player mechanism ofthe piano. If the supply of air to the air motor is irregular, thebellows 18 partially opens or closes the valve 66 and thus enables theair to reach the air motor uniformly,'thus producing a uniform rotationof the bowing member and consequently uniform playing. Y

A second bellows 22 directly regulates the valve 69 by means of asliding valve mechanism. rllhis bellows 22 is rendered operativeautomatically by means of the known music-sheet perforation and isconnected by a conduit 21 (Figs. 1 and 2) with a casing 25 whichcontains the passages communieating with the tracker board of the pianoplayer mechanism. Where the music sheet is provided with perforationsfor piano playing the bellows 22 is exhausted of air through the conduit21 so that it collapses and the valve 69 connected with it (Fig. 7) isdisplaced in such a manner that the passage regulated by this valve isrestricted and less air supplied to the air motor. As a result the airmotor and the bowing member connected therewith is driven more slowly.As soon as the music sheet no longer indicates piano playing, thebellows 22 and the valve 69 connected therewith return to their originalposition and the motor resumes its original speed of rotation.

A second, hand-controlled valve acts upon the same passage as the valve69; this valve 70 is connected with a pin 23 protruding from the casing20. The valve 70 serves for adjusting the normal speed of the air motor.By displacing this pin 23 inward the supply of direct air to the airmotor can be reduced vand increased by shifting the pin outward, wherebythe normal speed of the motor and therefore of the bowing member can beincreased or reduced.

Upon the casing 25, which communicates through the conduit 21 with thecasing 20 fitted to the air engine, two bellows 26, 27 (Figs. 3 and 5are arranged; these bellows operate rods 2S, 29 which serve to lift theframe 30 carrying the bowing member 5 when the latter is to be broughtout of engagement with the string 3 of the instrument. Normally theframe 30 is drawn downward under the influence of gravity and of theweight of the bowing member whereby the latter is held in engagementwith the string. A spring 31 serves partially to counterbalance thisweight, and therefore tends to draw the frame 30 upward. The two bellows26 and 27 are arranged reversely as shown in Figs. 3, 10, that is to saythe bellows 26 opens at the right hand and the bellows 27 at the lefthand end. lVith the movable member of the bellows 26 is connected at theright-hand end Fig. 3, a pin 32 actuating a rod 23, Fig. 5, while with abar 341. secured to the righthand end of the movable member of thebellows 27, there is connected a pin 33 actuating a rod 29 parael to therod 28. Thus when the bellows 26 and 27 are collapsed, the rods 2S and29 will move in opposite directions.

One of the bellows 26, 27 serves to lift the frame 30 with the bowingmember 5 continuously from the string while the other bellows lnerelyserves to lift the bowing member between the separate actions upon thestring. The continuous lifting of the frame with the bowing member iseffected by the bellows 27, which in its normal opened positionmaintains the rod 29 raised and with it the frame; in the collapsedposition it draws the rod 29 downward and thus allows the bowing memberto descend onto the string.

By means of a spring 36 attached at 35, and engaging the bar 3l, thebellows 27 is maintained in the extended position so that the rod 29 israised.

A spring buffer 39 is arranged on the plate 38 which is connected withthe casing 25 by a yoke piece 37; this buffer receives the frame 30resiliently when the latter descends.

The lifting of the bowing member during the various intervals betweenthe attacks upon the string is produced by the collapsing of the bellows26, the Acollapsing of which lifts the rod 28 which carries with it theframe 30 and the bowing member 5.

A bellows 47 is arranged upon the support 30 for the bowing member 5which is adapted to move upward and downward about the pivot 4:6; thisbellows is connected with a rod 49 displaceable upward and downward andcarrying the resin supporting bar 4S (Fig. 5). The resin supporting baris carried by the rod 50 and when the bellows 47 collapses the resinsupporting bar rocks upward about the point of application of the rod 50so that its free end which carries the resin comes into engagement withthe working surface of the bowing member 5. The bellows Ll-7 isconnected with the casing 25 by a conduit 51 (Figs. 2 and 3).

A bellows 40 is arranged upon the casing 25 laterally, a lever 13rotatably mounted at 42 being connected with this bellows by a spring41; this lever is subjected to the action of a counter spring L14;(Figs. 5 and 7 A horizontally arranged rod 45 is connected with thelever 43 which is rockable in a vertical. plane. The free end of thisrod 415, when the bellows 40 is being exhausted, is pressed against thebridge 4- of the stringed instrument so as to act as a damper or mute.

Another conduit 52 communicates with the casing 25 and leads to abellows 53 (Fig.

This bellows acts upon a lever 55 rotatably mounted at 54C and providedwith an upwardly directed projection 56. lhen the bellows 53 collapses,the end of the lever 55 adjacent to the bellows is lifted and theopposite, free end of this lever is depressed onto the tail piece 57(Figs. 2 and A cam plate 58 is mounted upon the crank shaft 6 of the airmotor above the projection 56 of the lever 55 and when the bellows 53collapses the cam during its rotation acts upon the projection 56 of thelever 55 and causes it to rock. These oscillations are transmitted tothe tail piece 57 so that the lever 55 acts as a vibrator or tremolodevice.

A number of fingers 59 are provided in the known manner for acting uponthe string 3; these lingers are actuated by bellows 6l arranged in acasing 60. To permit of arranging the fingers in the closest possibleproximity, two superposed rows of bellows are provided (Fig. 4), thebellows in one row being staggered relatively to those in the other, thesuccessive fingers being actuated alternately by a bellows of the upperrow and a bellows of the lower row. The air conduits for the bellows 61are fitted to the openings 62 of the casing 60 (Fig. 4) these conduitslead to the pia-no player mechanism which is played in the known mannerby means of a perforated music sheet and pedals.

The several bellows are all actuated from the piano player mechanism inaccordance with the perforations in a music sheet, in the known manner.

The bowing member 5 which consists of a rotating disk, is strung in themanner illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8. The stringing is arranged on thelower side of the disk in a similar manner to that adopted with balls ofthread. With this object four concentric rows of openings 63 areprovided in the disk. Hairs 64 or the like are stretched from eachopening of the innermost row symmetrically to two openings of the samerow located at a given distance; this is preferably effected in such amanner that each line is formed of a number of hairs. These lines ofhair inclose a circle 66. Above the stringing thus effected the samestringings of the following rows of openings are located; they inclosethe concentric circles 67, 68, 69, so that all the stringings constitutean oblique bowing surface 65 (Fig. 6).

If we consider, for instance, the four openings 7 0a, 71a, 7 2a, and 73CL situated upon the saine radius, hairs d, 71d, 72d, and 73drespectively are stretched from said openings to openings 70D, 7l", 72b, and 7 3b respectively which are arranged at 120o relatively to theiirst-named openings. From the second set of openings hairs 70e, 71e,72e, and 73e are stretched to openings 70C, 71, 72C, and 73",respectively, which in turn are arranged at 120O relatively to thepreceding set of openings; and from this third set of openings hairs 7Of, 711?, 72f, and 7 3f lead back to the rst-named openings 7 Oa, 7l,72, and 75a respectively. The hairs 7 0d, 7 Oe, 70f, form a portion ofthe circle 69, the hairs 71d, 71e, 7F, form a portion of the circle 68,the hairs 72d, 720, 7 2f, form a` portion of the circle 67, and thehairs 7 3d, 730, 7 3f, form a. portion of the circle 66. ln exactly thesame manner hairs are stretched between the other openings. rlhe circles66, 67, 68, and 69, which lie perfectly concentrically one within theother, together with the intervening stretched hairs, constitute theinclined bowing surface 65. Owing to the slightly inclined position ofthe bowing member relatively to the string to be played (Fig. l) and itsslightly moved bowing surface (Fig. 4) permits the bowing surface 65 tobear upon the string in such a manner that a relatively wide and uniformbowing surface is obtained, and owing to the side strings 3 3 beingspaced from the playing strings 6 and in a lower plane than the saidstrings, the side strings will not be engaged by the inclined bowingmembers.

The instrument described can be utilized with any automatic musicalinstrument, such as a piano, orchestrion and also with piano playerssuch as the phonola and pianola. lt can also be connecte-d directly 'itha keyboard of the harmonium kind, in which ease the instrument playsonly as a stringed instrument and the player operates the instrument byacting upon a bellows with the feet, while he depresses the fingers withhis hands. The player is thus afforded the possibility to producemelodies in violin tones when desired and to play either in accordancewith violin music in front of him or to improvise.

lVhat l claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is 1. ln an automatic violin, the combination of aviolin body, a string to be played fastened on the violin body, and arotating bowing member in the form of a disk arranged approximatelyparallel to the violin body.

9.. An automatic violin having in combination a body and a. stringsecured thereto as usual, and a. rotating bowing member in the form of adisk arranged approximately parallel to the violin body and at an acuteangle to the string.

3. An automatic violin, provided with a bowing member in the form of adisk provided with a plurality of superposed hairs disposed upon thedisk in such a manner that they inclose concentric circles of differentdiameters and form a wide and inclined uniform bowing surface.

4. In an automatic violin, the combination of a frame mounted to move upand down, a rotatable disk-like bowing member mounted upon a pivot inthe frame, a string to be engaged by the bowing member said bowingmember being arranged approximately parallel to the violin body, twobellows, and connected with the level.l for moving it into means foroperating the frame from the two engagement with the tail piece, and acam bellows, whereby the bowing member will be for rapidly oscillatingthe said lever.

aised out of engagement with the string by In testimony whereof I haveallixed my 5 one bellows for a long time, and by the other signature inpresence of' two witnesses.

bellows, between two notes being sounded v HERMANN HEGELER upon thestring.

5. ln an automatic violin, the combination Witnesses: i of a tail-piecefor holding a string, a pivoted Funnnnroii HOYERMANN, 10 lever forengaging the tail piece, a bellows VILLIAM STRUss.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

